Apparatus for controlling the tension of yarn, wire, cord or the like

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for controlling the tension of yarn, wire, cord or similar elongate material being withdrawn from or taken up on to a package. A spindle is mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis and is also rotatable about a pivot at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spindle in dependence on the weight of the package. Brake means are operable to apply a braking force to the spindle and a lever is movable in accordance with movement of the spindle about its pivot to control the braking force. A fulcrum bears on the lever. The position of the fulcrum is adjustable lengthwise of the lever. Means are provided for applying an adjustable pressure loading on the spindle to bias movement of the spindle about its pivot.

United States Patent 1191 Kimpton Feb. 26, 1974 [54] APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE 3,540,675 11/1970 Goldsworthy 242/ 156.2 TENSION 0 YARN, WIRE CORD OR THE 3,575,267 4/1971 Lauer, .Ir. 242/156 [75] William Harry Kimpton! Prestbury, Attorney, Agent, or Firm William R. Liberman England [73] Assignee: W.H.K. Products Limited, Cheshire, ABSTRACT land An apparatus for controlling the tension of yarn, wire, [22] Filed, Sept 1972 cord or similar elongate material being withdrawn from or taken up on to a package. A spindle is l PP 287,756 mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis and is also rotatable about .a pivot at right angles to the lon- 52 us. (:1. 242/1562 242/7546 giwdinal axis of the spindle in dependence 51 Int. c1.....,...:..:.:.... .:.,Q 13651] 59/04 Weight of t Package- Brake means are Operable 58 Field 0fSearch'.. 242/1562, 156, 156.1, 129.8, apply braking force the Spindle and a lever is -242/75 46 movable in accordance with movement of the spindle about its'pivot to control the braking force. A fulcrum [56] References Cited bears on the lever. The position of the fulcrum is 'adjustable lengthwise of the lever. Means are provided UNITED STATES PATENTS for applying an adjustable pressure loading on the 1,187,978 6/1916 Denmannm 242/1562 spindle o b movement of the Spindle about its 2,417,252 3/1947 Johnson 242/1562 pivot 2,670,522 3/1954 Culpepper 242/7546 X 2,877,963 3/1959 Hayden".. 242/156 4 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure LIKE Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath PATENTED EB 26 74 EAcRoROuN oF- HE INVENTION When it is required to pull wire or. cord froma package, the usual procedure is to placethe package on a free-running spindle so that it may rotate as the wire or cord is drawn from the package. Braking means are provided to obtain a steady drag or tension to the wire or cord as it is drawn from the package. A simple way of doing this is to fit a pulley to the spindle and hang a strap with weight in a position to apply the friction of the strap to the face of the pulley.

If, for example, the full wound package is of 12 inches in diameter, and a force is applied to the pulley to give a pull or drag on the wire cord of 1 1b., then as the material is withdrawn from the package and diminishes in diameter, the tension in the cord or wire increases. This is because, the drag has remained constant, but the distance of the wire or cord from the centre of the spool as it is drawnoff the spool has reduced due to the reductionof the diameter of the wound spool and the tension in the wire or cord is therefore A increased to produce a force still sufficient to overcome the drag. 1

In applications where constant or substantially constant tension in wire or cord is important, it is necessary continually to decrease the drag provided by the braking means and this of course means constant supervision.'

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMB DI ENT The device illustrated in the drawing comprises a spindle I mounted on two ball raises (not shown) in a housing'2 so that it can'rotate about its longitudinal axis. In this way, the. spindle 1 is provided with a substantially play-free support. A package or spool 3 containing wire or other material is mounted on an end portion of the spindle L The bearing housing 2 is mounted on a pivot 5 on a frame 6 so that it is capable. of movement about an axis at right angles to the longitudinal'axis of the spindle 1. Obviously, the spool 3 will 1 tend to fall around the pivot 5 under the action of gravity.

The housing 2 has lugs 7 (only one of which is visible on the drawing) integral with it and a brake control lever or bar 8 is carried by a pivot pin 9 extending between these lugs. A rod 10 connects one end of the bar 8 witha lever 11 mounted on a pivot pin 12 on the frame. A brake pulley 13 is mounted on the end of the spindle I opposite to that carrying the spool 3.

A brake pad 14 of suitable material is carried by the lever 11 and bears on the periphery of the pulley 13.

A roller 15 bears on the underside of the bar 8 and is supported by a support bar 17 having a threaded aperture and a complementary threaded shaft 18 rotatably mounted in a bracket 19 fixed to the frame 6. The. threaded shaft 18 carries a turning knob 20 so that the position of the bar 17, which is supported on rollers 21 knob 20. The roller 15 acts as fulcrum for the bar 8.

It will be appreciated, that if the axes of the pivot pin 9 and roller 15 are vertically in line, the roller 15 will support all the weight created. by the spool 3 and all the components between the spool and the pivot 5. Thus,

the brake pad 14 will not apply any load or braking force to the pulley 13.

, If the roller 15 is moved in the direction of the arrow 22 by suitable 'rotation'of the knob 20, the connecting rod 10 will act on the lever 11 so that a load is applied to the brake pad 14. Obviously, the greater the movement of the roller 15 in the direction of the arrow 22, the greater the load applied by the brake pad 14 to the pulley 13 and there will consequently be a greater drag on wire being pulled from the spool 3. As wire is unwound from the spool, the latter obviously becomes lighter .in weight and the pressure between the brake pad 14 and the pulley 13 becomes less.

In a typical practical example, afully wound spool 3 has a weight of lbs., a diameter of 10. inches and when empty, a diameter of 5 inches and a weight of only 5 lbs. Thus, the diameter ratio or leverage factor is 2:1 but the weight ratio is 8:1. As the weight is used to effect braking of the spindle 1, it is necessary to compensate for the differences in these ratios. In the present invention this is done by adding bias pressure or weight to the rotating spool 3. In this typical example 30 lbs, would be added to make full bobbin weight 70 lbs, and the empty 35 lbs, so as to create a weight ratio of 2: l which is-the same as'the leverage factor. Thusas the spool 3 empties, the decrease in the diameter of the spool (resulting in an increase in the yarn or wire tension), reduces the weight of the spool, and thus the braking force applied by the brake pad 14 to the pulley 13 decreases in substantial proportion thereto.

,This additional pressure to be applied to the spool is affected by means of a spring 23 bearing on the housing 2. The loading of the spring 23 can be adjusted by rotation of a screw 24.-By this means additional pressure may be easily adjusted as required. Final adjustments may be made by turning the knob 20 to alter the position of the fulcrum provided by the roller 15.

If desired, a piston and cylinder device may be used instead of thespring 23. Although the invention has been described in connection with the withdrawal from'a package, i.e., as apsion'of wire, yarn or other material being withdrawn from or taken up on to a rotating package comprising a spindle mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis and also rotatable about a pivot at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spindle in dependence on the weight of the package, brake means operable to apply a braking force to the spindle, a lever movable in accordance with movement of the spindle about its pivot to control the said braking force, a fulcrum hearing on the lever, means for adjusting the position of the fulcrum lengthwise of the lever, and means for applying an adjustable pressure loading on the spindle to bias movement of the spindle about its pivot.

3 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and including a bearing housing rotatable about said pivot at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spindle, the said spindle extending through the housing and projecting from each end thereof; said brake control lever being carried pivotally from the bearing housing; said brake means including a brake pulley on one end of the spindle and a brake pad bearing on said brake pulley and connected with the brake control lever so that the braking force applied to the brake pulley is dependent on the pivotal movement of the brake control lever; and said fulcrum including a roller bearing on the brake control lever.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for adjusting the position of the fulcrum roller includes a support bar mounting said roller and a screw threaded shaft connected to said bar whereby rotation of the shaft adjusts the position of the fulcrum roller lengthwise of the brake control lever.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for applying an adjustable pressure loading on the spindle includes a spring bearing-on the bearing housing between the package and the pivot of the housing to bias movement of the spindle about its pivot, and

means for adjusting the loading of the spring. 

1. An apparatus for controlling variation in the tension of wire, yarn or other material being withdrawn from or taken up on to a rotating package comprising a spindle mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis and also rotatable about a pivot at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spindle in dependence on the weight of the package, brake means operable to apply a braking force to the spindle, a lever movable in accordance with movement of the spindle about its pivot to control the said braking force, a fulcrum bearing on the lever, means for adjusting the position of the fulcrum lengthwise of the lever, and means for applying an adjustable pressure loading on the spindle to bias movemeNt of the spindle about its pivot.
 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and including a bearing housing rotatable about said pivot at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spindle, the said spindle extending through the housing and projecting from each end thereof; said brake control lever being carried pivotally from the bearing housing; said brake means including a brake pulley on one end of the spindle and a brake pad bearing on said brake pulley and connected with the brake control lever so that the braking force applied to the brake pulley is dependent on the pivotal movement of the brake control lever; and said fulcrum including a roller bearing on the brake control lever.
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for adjusting the position of the fulcrum roller includes a support bar mounting said roller and a screw threaded shaft connected to said bar whereby rotation of the shaft adjusts the position of the fulcrum roller lengthwise of the brake control lever.
 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for applying an adjustable pressure loading on the spindle includes a spring bearing on the bearing housing between the package and the pivot of the housing to bias movement of the spindle about its pivot, and means for adjusting the loading of the spring. 